Agency Highway Castos https://agencyhighway.com Agency Highway is a podcast for digital agencies who want to grow, earn more and work less. Episodes are a mix of quick wins, interviews with people who are doing amazing things, tools, tips and resources that will help you grow your agency and build the life that you want. Tue, 22 Mar 2022 21:00:00 +0000 en-US © 2026 Content Snare https://episodes.castos.com/agencyhighway/images/podcast/covers/c1a-1d6d-34xq4vk2cww3-ijodk8.png Agency Highway https://agencyhighway.com Agency Highway is a podcast for digital agencies who want to grow, earn more and work less. Episodes are a mix of quick wins, interviews with people who are doing amazing things, tools, tips and resources that will help you grow your agency and build the life that you want. James Rose episodic Agency Highway is a podcast for digital agencies who want to grow, earn more and work less. Episodes are a mix of quick wins, interviews with people who are doing amazing things, tools, tips and resources that will help you grow your agency and build the life that you want. Content Snare false https://feeds.castos.com/nox9 yes <![CDATA[146 - 6 stages to scaling your agency with Jason Swenk]]> Tue, 22 Mar 2022 21:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/146-6-stages-to-scaling-your-agency-with-jason-swetyq https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/146-6-stages-to-scaling-your-agency-with-jason-swetyq Read more]]> false Read more]]> 00:38:20 <![CDATA[145 - Building your referral engine with Gabrielle Chipeur]]> Tue, 02 Nov 2021 21:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/145-building-your-referral-engine-with-gabrielle-chipeur https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/145-building-your-referral-engine-with-gabrielle-chipeur Gabrielle Chipeur from the Well Paid Creative has a cool system for generating more referrals from clients. You’ll learn how to build your referrals, get better clients and make the most out of the ones you already have.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Gabrielle

About Gabrielle

Gabrielle Chipeur has spent the last 16 years at the crossroads of design, technology and online education, owning her own freelance business for the last 11 years.

After struggling for six years juggling small children, client projects and a pesky need for sleep, she transformed her business to be highly profitable (and even more fun!)

Between her book “Secret Weapon” and her podcast The Well-Paid Creative, she’s made it her mission to stamp out the starving artist stereotype and teach other creative professionals how they can love their work again, attract the best clients and charge what they’re worth.

]]> false Gabrielle Chipeur from the Well Paid Creative has a cool system for generating more referrals from clients. You’ll learn how to build your referrals, get better clients and make the most out of the ones you already have.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Gabrielle

About Gabrielle

Gabrielle Chipeur has spent the last 16 years at the crossroads of design, technology and online education, owning her own freelance business for the last 11 years.

After struggling for six years juggling small children, client projects and a pesky need for sleep, she transformed her business to be highly profitable (and even more fun!)

Between her book “Secret Weapon” and her podcast The Well-Paid Creative, she’s made it her mission to stamp out the starving artist stereotype and teach other creative professionals how they can love their work again, attract the best clients and charge what they’re worth.

]]> 00:40:15 <![CDATA[144 - Creating amazing experiences for your clients with Taylor McMaster]]> Tue, 26 Oct 2021 21:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/144-creating-amazing-experiences-for-your-clients-with-taylor-mcmaster https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/144-creating-amazing-experiences-for-your-clients-with-taylor-mcmaster Want to create amazing experiences for your clients? Taylor McMaster from Dot and Company is here to share how you can do just that. You’ll learn what kind of things you can do to delight your clients, how to turn that into a process and how to hire amazing account managers.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Taylor

About Taylor

A self-starter, Taylor knew she wanted to own a Digital Marketing Business — leading her to her true passion, Client Account Management.

Soon, Taylor knew this was a service every agency needed— full-service Account Managers who acted as a liaison between agency owners and clients.

Now, Taylor leads a team of Client Account Managers through DOT & Company, training the CAMs to work with different agencies so that agency owners can focus on scaling their business while DOT takes care of clients. We make them feel su

]]> false Want to create amazing experiences for your clients? Taylor McMaster from Dot and Company is here to share how you can do just that. You’ll learn what kind of things you can do to delight your clients, how to turn that into a process and how to hire amazing account managers.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Taylor

About Taylor

A self-starter, Taylor knew she wanted to own a Digital Marketing Business — leading her to her true passion, Client Account Management.

Soon, Taylor knew this was a service every agency needed— full-service Account Managers who acted as a liaison between agency owners and clients.

Now, Taylor leads a team of Client Account Managers through DOT & Company, training the CAMs to work with different agencies so that agency owners can focus on scaling their business while DOT takes care of clients. We make them feel su

]]> 00:36:25 <![CDATA[143 - How to make LinkedIn work for you with Nicole Osborne]]> Thu, 21 Oct 2021 13:50:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/143-how-to-make-linkedin-work-for-you-with-nicole-osborne https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/143-how-to-make-linkedin-work-for-you-with-nicole-osborne If LinkedIn seems like old news, Nicole Osbourne is here to share how you can make it awesome. It can actually be fun, and a great source for new, ideal clients. 

In this interview you’ll learn how to create your personal brand, what you should include on your profile and how to build your network without being a spammy douche. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Nicole

About Nicole

Nicole Osborne was just voted one of 2021’s Top 30 Marketers that Inspire by MarketEd.Live, along with the likes of Rand Fishkin, Seth Godin, and Andrew Davis.

A brand and marketing coach for digital agency owners, she’s based in London, but is originally from Eastern Germany (and yes, she loves The Hoff).

With her fun Wunderstars coaching programme, Nicole uses her 20+ years of marketing experience to help busy agency founders streamline their marketing efforts and fast track their social media results with stand-out branding and persuasive storytelling across their digital channels.

]]> false If LinkedIn seems like old news, Nicole Osbourne is here to share how you can make it awesome. It can actually be fun, and a great source for new, ideal clients. 

In this interview you’ll learn how to create your personal brand, what you should include on your profile and how to build your network without being a spammy douche. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Nicole

About Nicole

Nicole Osborne was just voted one of 2021’s Top 30 Marketers that Inspire by MarketEd.Live, along with the likes of Rand Fishkin, Seth Godin, and Andrew Davis.

A brand and marketing coach for digital agency owners, she’s based in London, but is originally from Eastern Germany (and yes, she loves The Hoff).

With her fun Wunderstars coaching programme, Nicole uses her 20+ years of marketing experience to help busy agency founders streamline their marketing efforts and fast track their social media results with stand-out branding and persuasive storytelling across their digital channels.

]]> 00:51:21 <![CDATA[142 - Delegating and preparing for exit with Kenny Schumacher]]> Wed, 13 Oct 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/142-delegating-and-preparing-for-exit-with-kenny-schumacher https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/142-delegating-and-preparing-for-exit-with-kenny-schumacher Kenny Schumacher has built and sold multiple productized services. In this interview you’ll learn what roles he delegated first, and how he was eventually able to remove himself from the business. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Kenny

About Kenny

I graduated college in 2016 with finance and accounting degrees. Shortly after college, I founded an Instagram marketing SaaS that I sold in 2018. I then founded a flat rate graphic design company, Delesign, which grew to over 60 on the team before selling the business in April 2021. Today I'm focusing my time on 2 startups, real estate, crypto, and consulting.

]]> false Kenny Schumacher has built and sold multiple productized services. In this interview you’ll learn what roles he delegated first, and how he was eventually able to remove himself from the business. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Kenny

About Kenny

I graduated college in 2016 with finance and accounting degrees. Shortly after college, I founded an Instagram marketing SaaS that I sold in 2018. I then founded a flat rate graphic design company, Delesign, which grew to over 60 on the team before selling the business in April 2021. Today I'm focusing my time on 2 startups, real estate, crypto, and consulting.

]]> 00:36:31 <![CDATA[141 - Growing your business with Twitter with Samar Owais]]> Wed, 06 Oct 2021 09:25:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/141-growing-your-business-with-twitter-with-samar-owais https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/141-growing-your-business-with-twitter-with-samar-owais Samar Owais has chosen to stay small instead of growing an agency. For some people, the idea of running an agency just isn’t for them – and that’s OK. In this episode, you’ll learn how Samar has grown her business, how to network with Twitter, and what she is doing to scale. 

We cover:

  • Niching down
  • The power of networking
  • Strategic partnerships
  • Staying top of mind with Twitter
  • Creating email newsletters

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Samar

About Samar

Samar is an email conversion strategist for SaaS and eCommerce brands. She's helped companies like Hubspot, Drip, and Pinterest as well as numerous ecommerce brands increase conversions, retain customers, and fix the money-leaking gaps in their emails.

She's the founder of the Emails Done Right newsletter where she picks an email fight every Wednesday and creator of the eCommerce Email Bootcamp where she teaches the ins and outs of email strategy to copywriters looking to break into the e-commerce email world.

]]> false Samar Owais has chosen to stay small instead of growing an agency. For some people, the idea of running an agency just isn’t for them – and that’s OK. In this episode, you’ll learn how Samar has grown her business, how to network with Twitter, and what she is doing to scale. 

We cover:

  • Niching down
  • The power of networking
  • Strategic partnerships
  • Staying top of mind with Twitter
  • Creating email newsletters

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Samar

About Samar

Samar is an email conversion strategist for SaaS and eCommerce brands. She's helped companies like Hubspot, Drip, and Pinterest as well as numerous ecommerce brands increase conversions, retain customers, and fix the money-leaking gaps in their emails.

She's the founder of the Emails Done Right newsletter where she picks an email fight every Wednesday and creator of the eCommerce Email Bootcamp where she teaches the ins and outs of email strategy to copywriters looking to break into the e-commerce email world.

]]> 00:51:27 <![CDATA[140 - Are you committing conversion crimes with Quinn Zeda]]> Wed, 29 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/140-are-you-committing-conversion-crimes-with-quinn-zeda https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/140-are-you-committing-conversion-crimes-with-quinn-zeda User testing can dramatically increase your website conversions. It’s also a service that you could roll into your higher tier website maintenance plans. Quinn Zeda from Conversion Crimes joins the show for an amazing, insightful conversation on user testing. 

Learn how to run tests, how to recruit testers, how to interpret the results and more.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Quinn

About Quinn

Founder & CEO of Conversion Crimes – making user testing the next big thing. Going to war against a/b testing. Ex-agency Zeda Labs helping 1M+ biz scale.

]]> false User testing can dramatically increase your website conversions. It’s also a service that you could roll into your higher tier website maintenance plans. Quinn Zeda from Conversion Crimes joins the show for an amazing, insightful conversation on user testing. 

Learn how to run tests, how to recruit testers, how to interpret the results and more.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Quinn

About Quinn

Founder & CEO of Conversion Crimes – making user testing the next big thing. Going to war against a/b testing. Ex-agency Zeda Labs helping 1M+ biz scale.

]]> 00:47:45 <![CDATA[139 - Planning websites the right way with Jo Minney]]> Wed, 01 Sep 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/139-planning-websites-the-right-way-with-jo-minney https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/139-planning-websites-the-right-way-with-jo-minney This episode was going to be called “WTF is Information Architecture,” but that would have probably made you tune out. I asked my friend Jo Minney to come on the show to answer exactly that question. She has an amazing process for planning websites that I found extremely interesting. It’s a professional way to plan that gets your client involved, so you get more buy-in. 

It’s a long one, but a good one for anyone involved in building websites, especially if you build websites for larger organizations. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Jo

About Jo

Jo Minney is a small business founder and web developer based (for now) in Perth, Western Australia. She is passionate about UX, data-driven decision making, cats and travel – not necessarily in that order. She's also an avid maker, from 3D printing to sewing to woodworking, and loves combining technology and creativity to make cool stuff.

In her non-existent free time, Jo consults with the federally funded Digital Solutions program providing accessible advice and training to Aussie small business owners. She is also an ambassador for She Codes Australia, a not for profit organisation aiming at making tech jobs more accessible for women. Jo is also an international conference speaker, and sits on the judging panel for the 2021 Women in Tech WA Awards.

She is easily recognisable by her bright purple hair and dorky glasses. You can find her on Facebook in the Perth WordPress Community group or Women who WordPress group (both of which she manages), or at the Perth WordPress meetup.

]]> false This episode was going to be called “WTF is Information Architecture,” but that would have probably made you tune out. I asked my friend Jo Minney to come on the show to answer exactly that question. She has an amazing process for planning websites that I found extremely interesting. It’s a professional way to plan that gets your client involved, so you get more buy-in. 

It’s a long one, but a good one for anyone involved in building websites, especially if you build websites for larger organizations. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Jo

About Jo

Jo Minney is a small business founder and web developer based (for now) in Perth, Western Australia. She is passionate about UX, data-driven decision making, cats and travel – not necessarily in that order. She's also an avid maker, from 3D printing to sewing to woodworking, and loves combining technology and creativity to make cool stuff.

In her non-existent free time, Jo consults with the federally funded Digital Solutions program providing accessible advice and training to Aussie small business owners. She is also an ambassador for She Codes Australia, a not for profit organisation aiming at making tech jobs more accessible for women. Jo is also an international conference speaker, and sits on the judging panel for the 2021 Women in Tech WA Awards.

She is easily recognisable by her bright purple hair and dorky glasses. You can find her on Facebook in the Perth WordPress Community group or Women who WordPress group (both of which she manages), or at the Perth WordPress meetup.

]]> 01:01:22 <![CDATA[138 - Hiring amazing VAs with Andy Cabasso]]> Wed, 25 Aug 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/138-hiring-amazing-vas-with-andy-cabasso https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/138-hiring-amazing-vas-with-andy-cabasso Do you dread hiring people? It can be such a time consuming process. But in this episode, you’ll learn how to create a simple, semi-automated process that helps you find the best candidates fast. Andy Cabasso from Postaga shares his process – the strategy, places to look for candidates, and tools to use.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Andy

About Andy

Andy Cabasso is a digital marketing professional, speaker, and lawyer. He is the co-founder of Postaga, an all-in-one platform for link building and email outreach. Prior to Postaga, he started, grew, and then successfully sold a digital marketing agency.

]]> false Do you dread hiring people? It can be such a time consuming process. But in this episode, you’ll learn how to create a simple, semi-automated process that helps you find the best candidates fast. Andy Cabasso from Postaga shares his process – the strategy, places to look for candidates, and tools to use.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Andy

About Andy

Andy Cabasso is a digital marketing professional, speaker, and lawyer. He is the co-founder of Postaga, an all-in-one platform for link building and email outreach. Prior to Postaga, he started, grew, and then successfully sold a digital marketing agency.

]]> 00:54:58 <![CDATA[137 - What clients look for in an agency with Foti Panagio]]> Wed, 18 Aug 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/137-what-clients-look-for-in-an-agency-with-foti-panagio https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/137-what-clients-look-for-in-an-agency-with-foti-panagio What do clients look for in an agency? Foti from Growth Mentor joins the show for a casual chat about the good, bad and ugly experiences he’s had working with agencies. You’ll get some ideas on how you can stand out, and how to put your potential clients' mind at ease and overcome objections.

This one is a little different from a typical episode. Foti doesn’t work directly with agencies – it’s just a chat that might help understand the minds of your potential clients. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Foti

  • https://twitter.com/FotiPanagio
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/fotis-panagio/

About Foti

Foti is the VP of Growth at EuroVPS and also the founder of GrowthMentor. He graduated with a degree in finance from CASS University in London in 2007 but quickly pivoted into digital marketing a year later as the first non-engineer hire at the managed hosting provider, EuroVPS.

Within three years of joining, he helped EuroVPS more than triple MRR from €30k to €90k and along the way accidentally stumbled on a highly effective way to upskill himself in the art of growth.

He would jump on adhoc calls with other more experienced growth marketers and get 1:1 feedback on what he was working on. This was what inspired him to create GrowthMentor, a curated community where founders and marketers can book 1:1 calls with vetted growth marketing and startup mentors for on-demand advice.

Since GrowthMentor's launch in 2018, over 12,000 calls have been booked on the platform to date.

The GrowthMentor platform helps entrepreneurs and marketers overcome the feeling of indecisiveness by curating a community of vetted growth marketing and startup professionals that genuinely enjoy helping other people (via mentorship) to avoid some of the early mistakes they made during their growth journeys.

]]> false What do clients look for in an agency? Foti from Growth Mentor joins the show for a casual chat about the good, bad and ugly experiences he’s had working with agencies. You’ll get some ideas on how you can stand out, and how to put your potential clients' mind at ease and overcome objections.

This one is a little different from a typical episode. Foti doesn’t work directly with agencies – it’s just a chat that might help understand the minds of your potential clients. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Foti

  • https://twitter.com/FotiPanagio
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/fotis-panagio/

About Foti

Foti is the VP of Growth at EuroVPS and also the founder of GrowthMentor. He graduated with a degree in finance from CASS University in London in 2007 but quickly pivoted into digital marketing a year later as the first non-engineer hire at the managed hosting provider, EuroVPS.

Within three years of joining, he helped EuroVPS more than triple MRR from €30k to €90k and along the way accidentally stumbled on a highly effective way to upskill himself in the art of growth.

He would jump on adhoc calls with other more experienced growth marketers and get 1:1 feedback on what he was working on. This was what inspired him to create GrowthMentor, a curated community where founders and marketers can book 1:1 calls with vetted growth marketing and startup mentors for on-demand advice.

Since GrowthMentor's launch in 2018, over 12,000 calls have been booked on the platform to date.

The GrowthMentor platform helps entrepreneurs and marketers overcome the feeling of indecisiveness by curating a community of vetted growth marketing and startup professionals that genuinely enjoy helping other people (via mentorship) to avoid some of the early mistakes they made during their growth journeys.

]]> 00:42:57 <![CDATA[136 - Automation for agencies with Olivia Look]]> Wed, 14 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/136-automation-for-agencies-with-olivia-look https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/136-automation-for-agencies-with-olivia-look Automation can have a dramatic effect on your agency, especially if you find yourself overworked and underpaid. Olivia Look from The Automated Agency joins the show for a chat about tools and processes that will help your team get more done.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Olivia

About Olivia

Olivia Look is an automation and no-code enthusiast and the founder of The Automated Agency living in Virginia, USA. She doesn't want to work ridiculous hours to run a successful business, and you shouldn't have to either.

]]> false Automation can have a dramatic effect on your agency, especially if you find yourself overworked and underpaid. Olivia Look from The Automated Agency joins the show for a chat about tools and processes that will help your team get more done.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Olivia

About Olivia

Olivia Look is an automation and no-code enthusiast and the founder of The Automated Agency living in Virginia, USA. She doesn't want to work ridiculous hours to run a successful business, and you shouldn't have to either.

]]> 00:54:06 <![CDATA[135 - Using creative briefs to work effectively with Leticia Rita]]> Wed, 07 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/135-using-creative-briefs-to-work-effectively-with-leticia-rita https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/135-using-creative-briefs-to-work-effectively-with-leticia-rita To avoid scope creep, you have to get the creative brief process right. It also means less fighting with your client later, preserving the relationship.

Leticia from Holabrief joins the show to share:

  • The 3 types of brief
  • What should be in a creative brief
  • How to create a solid briefing process

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Leticia

About Leticia

I am the co-founder of HolaBrief, an interactive discovery tool for creative agencies and freelancers to better understand their client's business problems. The brief has been a problem my entire career so I'm on a mission to fix it so that other creatives can do their best work. In my free time I also co-found The Green Conspiracy garden journal that teaches people to grow their own food successfully.

]]> false To avoid scope creep, you have to get the creative brief process right. It also means less fighting with your client later, preserving the relationship.

Leticia from Holabrief joins the show to share:

  • The 3 types of brief
  • What should be in a creative brief
  • How to create a solid briefing process

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Leticia

About Leticia

I am the co-founder of HolaBrief, an interactive discovery tool for creative agencies and freelancers to better understand their client's business problems. The brief has been a problem my entire career so I'm on a mission to fix it so that other creatives can do their best work. In my free time I also co-found The Green Conspiracy garden journal that teaches people to grow their own food successfully.

]]> 00:40:28 <![CDATA[134 - Growing your agency through tech partnerships with Alex Glenn]]> Wed, 23 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/134-growing-your-agency-through-tech-partnerships-with-alex-glenn https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/134-growing-your-agency-through-tech-partnerships-with-alex-glenn Do you help your clients implement software in their business? If you aren’t involved in the partner programs for that software, you’re leaving money on the table.

In this episode with Alex Glenn from PartnerHub, you’ll learn how to leverage software partner programs to get exposure, generate leads, increase revenue and even improve your SEO. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Glenn

About Alex

I ran an agency for a large part of my career called Right 2 Revenue where we focused on setting up user and client acquisition funnels for various verticals. From there, I ran growth as a Vice President and early team member for platforms like Carlease.com, Curiosity.com and Younity.

In those roles, I relied on Partners to quickly ramp up my brands presence in a new space (i.e. car leasing – we were not auto industry veterans, so we had to learn, build a platform, and market simultaneously). I was always known for being able to do a lot with a little. And partners were a huge reason for that. I still had never heard the term “Channel.” After those platforms came and went, I launched my own called Automated.af – focused on linking top marketing and sales automators with companies who needed them. I built a large Slack station with agencies and thought leaders. I also built a Slack application that deployed pre-built automations for teams. But, I knew I wasn’t thinking big enough.

After writing a GTM strategy for a SaaS client that included a partnerships strategy as the key pillar, and hearing the founder question “Why not SEO or sales as the key pillar?” I realized how little most founders knew about the power of partnerships. That night, I bought the domain Partnerprograms.io and set out to educate and build the platform for partner-led growth.

]]> false Do you help your clients implement software in their business? If you aren’t involved in the partner programs for that software, you’re leaving money on the table.

In this episode with Alex Glenn from PartnerHub, you’ll learn how to leverage software partner programs to get exposure, generate leads, increase revenue and even improve your SEO. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Glenn

About Alex

I ran an agency for a large part of my career called Right 2 Revenue where we focused on setting up user and client acquisition funnels for various verticals. From there, I ran growth as a Vice President and early team member for platforms like Carlease.com, Curiosity.com and Younity.

In those roles, I relied on Partners to quickly ramp up my brands presence in a new space (i.e. car leasing – we were not auto industry veterans, so we had to learn, build a platform, and market simultaneously). I was always known for being able to do a lot with a little. And partners were a huge reason for that. I still had never heard the term “Channel.” After those platforms came and went, I launched my own called Automated.af – focused on linking top marketing and sales automators with companies who needed them. I built a large Slack station with agencies and thought leaders. I also built a Slack application that deployed pre-built automations for teams. But, I knew I wasn’t thinking big enough.

After writing a GTM strategy for a SaaS client that included a partnerships strategy as the key pillar, and hearing the founder question “Why not SEO or sales as the key pillar?” I realized how little most founders knew about the power of partnerships. That night, I bought the domain Partnerprograms.io and set out to educate and build the platform for partner-led growth.

]]> 00:45:01 <![CDATA[133 - Productizing outside the box with Kris Croucher]]> Wed, 16 Jun 2021 09:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/133-productizing-outside-the-box-with-kris-croucher https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/133-productizing-outside-the-box-with-kris-croucher Kris from Just After Midnight has productized a service that many would write off as un-productizable. His story has so many practical tips around how to run a productized service in tandem with your existing agency. You’ll learn how to structure your team, common mistakes to avoid, how to create boundaries and much more. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Kris

About Kris

Kris is CEO at Just After Midnight ANZ. Kris has worked in digital for over 20 years, for much of it as a member of the executive team of international digital agency Reading Room, leading its growth and sale in 2015. Kris shares a passion with Sam and the rest of the JAM team for building enduring, differentiated and exciting businesses with a culture that their people and customers can’t resist.

]]> false Kris from Just After Midnight has productized a service that many would write off as un-productizable. His story has so many practical tips around how to run a productized service in tandem with your existing agency. You’ll learn how to structure your team, common mistakes to avoid, how to create boundaries and much more. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Kris

About Kris

Kris is CEO at Just After Midnight ANZ. Kris has worked in digital for over 20 years, for much of it as a member of the executive team of international digital agency Reading Room, leading its growth and sale in 2015. Kris shares a passion with Sam and the rest of the JAM team for building enduring, differentiated and exciting businesses with a culture that their people and customers can’t resist.

]]> 00:48:29 <![CDATA[132 - Increasing your conversions with Kurt Philip]]> Wed, 09 Jun 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/132-increasing-your-conversions-with-kurt-philip https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/132-increasing-your-conversions-with-kurt-philip In this episode, Kurt Philip from Convertica shares some simple ways you can increase conversions on your own, or your clients’ websites. You’ll learn about how to increase trust, where to focus your efforts and how to learn more about Conversion Rate Optimization.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Kurt

About Kurt

I am the founder of a few different startup agencies, namely Convertica, a conversion optimization company.

Proud father & jiu jitsu player.

]]> false In this episode, Kurt Philip from Convertica shares some simple ways you can increase conversions on your own, or your clients’ websites. You’ll learn about how to increase trust, where to focus your efforts and how to learn more about Conversion Rate Optimization.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Kurt

About Kurt

I am the founder of a few different startup agencies, namely Convertica, a conversion optimization company.

Proud father & jiu jitsu player.

]]> 00:58:01 <![CDATA[131 - Creating a spin-off productized service with Chris Willow]]> Wed, 02 Jun 2021 09:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/131-creating-a-spin-off-productized-service-with-chris-willow https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/131-creating-a-spin-off-productized-service-with-chris-willow If you’ve ever thought about creating a productized service, this episode is for you. Chris WIllow from Service Provider Pro joins the show to talk about what’s working in productized services, how to get started without risking your current brand, and how to create processes. 

Connect with Chris

About Chris

I'm the founder of Service Provider Pro, a client management and billing software for agencies. Huge fan of helping agencies get their stuff together, love outdoor sports. Based in Latvia.

]]> false If you’ve ever thought about creating a productized service, this episode is for you. Chris WIllow from Service Provider Pro joins the show to talk about what’s working in productized services, how to get started without risking your current brand, and how to create processes. 

Connect with Chris

About Chris

I'm the founder of Service Provider Pro, a client management and billing software for agencies. Huge fan of helping agencies get their stuff together, love outdoor sports. Based in Latvia.

]]> 00:39:46 <![CDATA[130 - Retaining clients through technology with Shaun Clark]]> Wed, 26 May 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/130-retaining-clients-through-technology-with-shaun-clark https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/130-retaining-clients-through-technology-with-shaun-clark Shaun Clark from GoHighLevel joins the show to talk about client retention. Selling technology to clients is an under-utilised channel by agencies, yet it can be highly lucrative. On top of that, it can make them more likely to remain a client, even while they’re taking a break from your services, making it easier to get the back later. 

There is a lot in this episode and I hope you find it helpful!

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Shaun

About Shaun

Co-Founder and CEO of HighLevel, serving over 10,000 agencies serving over 200,000 SMBs.

]]> false Shaun Clark from GoHighLevel joins the show to talk about client retention. Selling technology to clients is an under-utilised channel by agencies, yet it can be highly lucrative. On top of that, it can make them more likely to remain a client, even while they’re taking a break from your services, making it easier to get the back later. 

There is a lot in this episode and I hope you find it helpful!

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Shaun

About Shaun

Co-Founder and CEO of HighLevel, serving over 10,000 agencies serving over 200,000 SMBs.

]]> 00:34:07 <![CDATA[129 - Agency differentiation and CRO as a service with Peep Laja]]> Thu, 15 Apr 2021 12:45:20 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/129-agency-differentiation-and-cro-as-a-service-with-peep-laja https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/129-agency-differentiation-and-cro-as-a-service-with-peep-laja Peep Laja from CXL joins the show to tackle two awesome topics. 

First, you’ll learn how you can differentiate your agency from the thousands of others out there. Everyone talks about niching down, but few dig into the “how” to the level that Peep shares in this interview. 

Second, if you’ve thought about offering, or already offer Conversion Rate Optimization as a service to your clients, you’ll learn what you should include in the service and how to sell it to clients.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Peep

]]> false Peep Laja from CXL joins the show to tackle two awesome topics. 

First, you’ll learn how you can differentiate your agency from the thousands of others out there. Everyone talks about niching down, but few dig into the “how” to the level that Peep shares in this interview. 

Second, if you’ve thought about offering, or already offer Conversion Rate Optimization as a service to your clients, you’ll learn what you should include in the service and how to sell it to clients.

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Peep

]]> 00:55:39 <![CDATA[128 - How to get clients through YouTube with Rob ORourke]]> Wed, 10 Feb 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/128-how-to-get-clients-through-youtube-with-rob-orourke https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/128-how-to-get-clients-through-youtube-with-rob-orourke A YouTube channel can help you land clients easier than you might think. Rob ORourke from Fox Web School shares how that can be so, as well as tips on how to start your channel, get more subscribers and what equipment to use. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Rob

About Rob

Irish guy living in Poland. Owner of Fox Web School. I love sharing value and helping others progress.

]]> false A YouTube channel can help you land clients easier than you might think. Rob ORourke from Fox Web School shares how that can be so, as well as tips on how to start your channel, get more subscribers and what equipment to use. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Rob

About Rob

Irish guy living in Poland. Owner of Fox Web School. I love sharing value and helping others progress.

]]> 00:48:09 <![CDATA[127 - How to hire amazing people with Anna Shcherbyna]]> Wed, 03 Feb 2021 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/127-how-to-hire-amazing-people-with-anna-shcherbyna https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/127-how-to-hire-amazing-people-with-anna-shcherbyna This is an absolute beast of an episode. Anna Shcherbyna from Remotivate joins the show to share a start-to-finish playbook on how to hire amazing employees. 

The conversation covers where to go to find people and all the steps to go through to make sure they’re a great fit before you hire them.  

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Anna

About Anna

For the past 9 years, I've been working in Operations and Recruitment for both major companies and remote businesses.

Currently, I run a recruitment agency that helps remote-friendly companies hire top remote talent via an affordable done-for-you service.

I am originally from Ukraine but am currently location independent and travel the world.

]]> false This is an absolute beast of an episode. Anna Shcherbyna from Remotivate joins the show to share a start-to-finish playbook on how to hire amazing employees. 

The conversation covers where to go to find people and all the steps to go through to make sure they’re a great fit before you hire them.  

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Anna

About Anna

For the past 9 years, I've been working in Operations and Recruitment for both major companies and remote businesses.

Currently, I run a recruitment agency that helps remote-friendly companies hire top remote talent via an affordable done-for-you service.

I am originally from Ukraine but am currently location independent and travel the world.

]]> 00:42:13 <![CDATA[126 - Embracing imposter syndrome and fear with Freshbooks co-founder Mike McDerment]]> Wed, 23 Dec 2020 07:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/126-embracing-imposter-syndrome-and-fear-with-freshbooks-co-founder-mike-mcderment https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/126-embracing-imposter-syndrome-and-fear-with-freshbooks-co-founder-mike-mcderment If you deal with imposter syndrome and fear in your business, you’re in good company. Today’s guest, Mike McDerment, is the co-founder of Freshbooks. His company has a team of 500 and he still faces it on the regular. 

In this episode you’ll learn how to put a positive spin on imposter syndrome to grow as a person & leader. You’ll also hear about how and why Freshbooks created a second product to compete with themselves – a fascinating story. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Mike

About Mike

Mike McDerment is the Co-Founder and CEO of FreshBooks, the world’s #1 cloud accounting software for self-employed professionals. Built out of frustration after accidentally saving over an invoice, Mike spent 3.5 years growing FreshBooks from his parents’ basement. Since launching in 2003, over 24 million people have used FreshBooks to save time billing, and collect billions of dollars. A lover of the outdoors, Mike has been bitten so many times it’s rumored he’s the first human to have developed immunity to mosquitoes.

]]> false If you deal with imposter syndrome and fear in your business, you’re in good company. Today’s guest, Mike McDerment, is the co-founder of Freshbooks. His company has a team of 500 and he still faces it on the regular. 

In this episode you’ll learn how to put a positive spin on imposter syndrome to grow as a person & leader. You’ll also hear about how and why Freshbooks created a second product to compete with themselves – a fascinating story. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Mike

About Mike

Mike McDerment is the Co-Founder and CEO of FreshBooks, the world’s #1 cloud accounting software for self-employed professionals. Built out of frustration after accidentally saving over an invoice, Mike spent 3.5 years growing FreshBooks from his parents’ basement. Since launching in 2003, over 24 million people have used FreshBooks to save time billing, and collect billions of dollars. A lover of the outdoors, Mike has been bitten so many times it’s rumored he’s the first human to have developed immunity to mosquitoes.

]]> 00:35:52 <![CDATA[125 - Create and automate a reviews service with Garrett Sussman]]> Thu, 17 Dec 2020 17:00:00 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/125-create-and-automate-a-reviews-service-with-garrett-sussman https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/125-create-and-automate-a-reviews-service-with-garrett-sussman If you’re on the lookout for new services you can add to your agency with very little effort, this is a great episode for you. Garret Sussman from Traject shares how you can add reviews and reputation management as a service. These can be an entire service offering on their own, or act as a foot-in-the-door to impress your clients before bringing them on for a major project. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Garrett

About Garrett

Garrett Sussman is a B2B SaaS content marketer through and through. He's the Head of Content for the digital marketing software company Traject. Traject is a suite of digital marketing tools including Grade.us, GatherUp, Cyfe, Fanbooster, AuthorityLabs, and Traject Data. When he's not pumping out SEO focused blog posts, crafting email copy, and strategizing his content marketing funnel, he's hosting the Agency Ahead podcast.

Working remotely in Arlington, Virginia, Garrett brews a mean cup of ice coffee, obsesses over graphic novels, and loves spending time with his wife Jenny and his mini Goldendoodle, Lucy.

]]> false If you’re on the lookout for new services you can add to your agency with very little effort, this is a great episode for you. Garret Sussman from Traject shares how you can add reviews and reputation management as a service. These can be an entire service offering on their own, or act as a foot-in-the-door to impress your clients before bringing them on for a major project. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Garrett

About Garrett

Garrett Sussman is a B2B SaaS content marketer through and through. He's the Head of Content for the digital marketing software company Traject. Traject is a suite of digital marketing tools including Grade.us, GatherUp, Cyfe, Fanbooster, AuthorityLabs, and Traject Data. When he's not pumping out SEO focused blog posts, crafting email copy, and strategizing his content marketing funnel, he's hosting the Agency Ahead podcast.

Working remotely in Arlington, Virginia, Garrett brews a mean cup of ice coffee, obsesses over graphic novels, and loves spending time with his wife Jenny and his mini Goldendoodle, Lucy.

]]> 00:36:09 <![CDATA[124 - Better social campaigns for your clients with Tim Hill]]> Wed, 09 Dec 2020 07:00:15 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/124-better-social-campaigns-for-your-clients-with-tim-hill https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/124-better-social-campaigns-for-your-clients-with-tim-hill If you help your clients with their social media, this is an interview for you. Tim Hill from Social Status joins the show to discuss how to run better campaigns. 

You learn about setting goals, which channels to target, what content to produce and how to generate amazing reports for your clients. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Tim

About Tim

Tim is the Co-Founder and CEO of social media analytics and reporting platform Social Status https://www.socialstatus.io/. With over 8,000 marketers worldwide on platform, Social Status has quickly become the gold standard in social media analytics, used by sole traders to SMEs to global corporations.

Prior to Social Status, Tim spent over seven years working in advertising and digital agencies including BMF, Magnum & Co, Reading Room and Hoodlum. In these roles he led digital and social strategy for iconic consumer brands such as Sony Pictures, ALDI Australia, GoDaddy, Lion, Tip Top, Expedia, Ferrero, Meat & Livestock Australia, Yahoo! and Foxtel.

Tim also has significant experience in the Gov sector at both state and federal level having consulted into the PM’s office in the years of KRudd and working with clients including the Department of Sustainability, Department of Broadband, Department of Defence, Public Transport Ticketing Corporation and the National Prescribing Service.

He also teaches social media marketing courses for ADMA (Association for Data-driven Marketing & Advertising) and Zambesi in Sydney and Melbourne.

]]> false If you help your clients with their social media, this is an interview for you. Tim Hill from Social Status joins the show to discuss how to run better campaigns. 

You learn about setting goals, which channels to target, what content to produce and how to generate amazing reports for your clients. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Tim

About Tim

Tim is the Co-Founder and CEO of social media analytics and reporting platform Social Status https://www.socialstatus.io/. With over 8,000 marketers worldwide on platform, Social Status has quickly become the gold standard in social media analytics, used by sole traders to SMEs to global corporations.

Prior to Social Status, Tim spent over seven years working in advertising and digital agencies including BMF, Magnum & Co, Reading Room and Hoodlum. In these roles he led digital and social strategy for iconic consumer brands such as Sony Pictures, ALDI Australia, GoDaddy, Lion, Tip Top, Expedia, Ferrero, Meat & Livestock Australia, Yahoo! and Foxtel.

Tim also has significant experience in the Gov sector at both state and federal level having consulted into the PM’s office in the years of KRudd and working with clients including the Department of Sustainability, Department of Broadband, Department of Defence, Public Transport Ticketing Corporation and the National Prescribing Service.

He also teaches social media marketing courses for ADMA (Association for Data-driven Marketing & Advertising) and Zambesi in Sydney and Melbourne.

]]> 00:44:57 <![CDATA[123 - Growing your agency with a virtual summit with Krista Miller]]> Wed, 02 Dec 2020 07:10:18 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/123-growing-your-agency-with-a-virtual-summit-with-krista-miller https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/123-growing-your-agency-with-a-virtual-summit-with-krista-miller A virtual summit can create an insane amount of awareness for your agency in a short time. You’ll bring together experts that serve your target audience, which creates relationships. You’ll also get in front of potentially hundreds or thousands of your target audience as attendees. 

Krista Miller has been helping people run profitable virtual summits through Summit In A Box. Today you’ll learn how to run your own. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Krista

About Krista

At Summit In A Box, Krista helps entrepreneurs 3x their monthly revenue through virtual summits without wondering where to start or what to do next. Her method is focused on strong connections, collaboration, and making a difference in the lives of everyone involved.

The best part? She makes it easy! With every strategy, copy template, website template, script, tech tutorial, and resources you'd ever need, your summit prep just got a whole lot easier!

]]> false A virtual summit can create an insane amount of awareness for your agency in a short time. You’ll bring together experts that serve your target audience, which creates relationships. You’ll also get in front of potentially hundreds or thousands of your target audience as attendees. 

Krista Miller has been helping people run profitable virtual summits through Summit In A Box. Today you’ll learn how to run your own. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Krista

About Krista

At Summit In A Box, Krista helps entrepreneurs 3x their monthly revenue through virtual summits without wondering where to start or what to do next. Her method is focused on strong connections, collaboration, and making a difference in the lives of everyone involved.

The best part? She makes it easy! With every strategy, copy template, website template, script, tech tutorial, and resources you'd ever need, your summit prep just got a whole lot easier!

]]> 00:45:11 <![CDATA[122 - Scalable link generation for clients with Andy Cabasso]]> Wed, 25 Nov 2020 07:00:48 +0000 James Rose https://agency-highway.castos.com/podcasts/1606/episodes/122-scalable-link-generation-for-clients-with-andy-cabasso https://agency-highway.castos.com/episodes/122-scalable-link-generation-for-clients-with-andy-cabasso Andy Cabasso from Postaga joins Agency Highway to share what’s working in creating link generation campaigns for clients. SEO can be a great source of recurring revenue for agencies, so if this is a service you already offer or are thinking about offering, give this episode a listen. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Andy

About Andy

Andy Cabasso is a digital marketing professional, speaker, lawyer, and occasional wedding officiant. He is the co-founder of Postaga, an all-in-one platform for link building and email outreach. Prior to Postaga, he started, grew, and then successfully sold a digital marketing agency. If you're interested in trying out Postaga, you can grab a free account at https://postaga.com.

]]> false Andy Cabasso from Postaga joins Agency Highway to share what’s working in creating link generation campaigns for clients. SEO can be a great source of recurring revenue for agencies, so if this is a service you already offer or are thinking about offering, give this episode a listen. 

Resources mentioned in the episode

Connect with Andy

About Andy

Andy Cabasso is a digital marketing professional, speaker, lawyer, and occasional wedding officiant. He is the co-founder of Postaga, an all-in-one platform for link building and email outreach. Prior to Postaga, he started, grew, and then successfully sold a digital marketing agency. If you're interested in trying out Postaga, you can grab a free account at https://postaga.com.

]]> 00:40:50